Delaware Covered Call Strategy Fund
Delaware Group Equity Funds IV
Expense ratio
Net assets1
$69.69M
Holdings1
24
Category
US Equity
Return

Investment objective & strategy

As of Jan. 26, 2024 · prospectus

Objective. Delaware Covered Call Strategy Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Strategy. The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity securities and writes (sells) call options on those securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund writes (sells) call options on at least 80% of the Funds total assets (80% policy). The Fund normally writes (sells) covered call options listed on US exchanges on the equity securities held by the Fund to seek to lower the overall volatility of the Funds portfolio, protect the Fund from market declines, and generate income. The call options written (sold) by the Fund will generally have an exercise price that is above the market price of the underlying security at the time the option is written (sold). The Funds equity investments consist primarily of common stocks of large-size … The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity securities and writes (sells) call options on those securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund writes (sells) call options on at least 80% of the Funds total assets (80% policy). The Fund normally writes (sells) covered call options listed on US exchanges on the equity securities held by the Fund to seek to lower the overall volatility of the Funds portfolio, protect the Fund from market declines, and generate income. The call options written (sold) by the Fund will generally have an exercise price that is above the market price of the underlying security at the time the option is written (sold). The Funds equity investments consist primarily of common stocks of large-size US companies (companies over $10 billion in market capitalization), certain of which may pay dividends, and US dollar-denominated equity securities of foreign issuers (i.e., American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)) traded on US securities exchanges. To a lesser extent, the Fund may also invest in and write (sell) covered call options on securities of mid- and small-capitalization issuers and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track certain market indices, such as the S&P 500. The nature of the Fund is such that it may be expected to underperform equity markets during periods of sharply rising equity prices; conversely, the Fund seeks to reduce losses relative to equity markets during periods of declining equity prices. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer, in this case, the Fund, the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the contract, regardless of the market price of the underlying security during the option period. Covered call options may be sold up to the number of shares of the equity securities held by the Fund. In selecting investments, Ziegler Capital Management, LLC (ZCM), the Funds sub-advisor, considers the following, among other criteria: a) companies in an industry with a large market share or significant revenues that fit the Funds investment strategy; b) companies with new products or new management to replace underperforming management; c) recent or anticipated fundamental improvements in industry environment; and d) companies that are out of favor. Call options written by the Fund are designed to create income, lower the overall volatility of the Funds portfolio, and mitigate the impact of market declines. ZCM considers several factors when writing (selling) call options, including the overall equity market outlook, sector and/or industry attractiveness, individual security considerations, and relative and/or historical levels of option premiums. Premiums received for a call option the Fund writes will be treated as a short-term capital gain if the option expires. The Fund may sell a security based on the following, among other criteria: a) an actual or anticipated significant decline in an issuers profitability and/or a significant negative outlook from management; b) a large appreciation in the stock price that leads to overvaluation relative to itself and its peers historically; c) significant management turnover at the senior level; or d) an industry-wide decrease in demand for an issuers products or services. ZCM writes call options based upon its outlook on the economy and stock market and analysis of individual stocks, which can impact the exercise price and expiration of a call option. Generally, higher implied volatility will lead to longer expirations, locking in potentially higher call premiums, whereas lower implied volatility will tend to lead to shorter-dated options. The writing of covered call options may result in frequent trading and a high portfolio turnover rate. Additionally, from time to time, in pursuing its investment strategies, the Fund may hold significant investments (25% or more of its assets) in a specific market sector, including the information technology sector.

Top holdings

As of March 28, 2024 · N-PORT
SecurityTickerValue% of fund
ALPHABET INC CL A $5.69M 8.17%
APPLE INC $5.64M 8.10%
MICROSOFT CORP $5.22M 7.49%
HOME DEPOT INC $4.80M 6.88%
NVIDIA CORP $4.79M 6.87%
UNITEDHEALTH GRP $4.40M 6.32%
MASTERCARD INC CL A $4.05M 5.80%
BLACKROCK INC $3.92M 5.62%
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP $3.88M 5.57%
BROADCOM INC $3.58M 5.14%
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Allocation by sector

As of March 28, 2024 · N-PORT
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Portfolio moves

Dec 29, 2023 → Mar 28, 2024
Opened
0
Exited
9
Increased
2
Decreased
16
Unchanged
8

How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.

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Footnotes

  1. Net assets and holdings count as of March 28, 2024, from the fund's N-PORT filing.

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